Polymers and copolymers of unsaturated amides



Patented Feb. 1, 1950 POLYMERS AND COPOLYMERS OF UNSATURATED AMIDES Joseph B. Dickey, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application August 17, 1945, Serial No. 611,241

10 Claims.

This invention relates to polymers prepared from unsaturated compounds containing car boxyamlde or sulfonamide groups.

It has been recognized previously that the polymers prepared from monomers having vinyl, isopropenyl, and like groups are unsuitable for use in the making of fibers due to the softening characteristics of those polymers at but slightly elevated temperatures. Because of this other polymers have been primarily considered for use in textile manufacture.

One object of my invention is to provide a new series of polymers having good heat resistance properties. Other objects of my invention will appear herein.

I have found that polymers prepared from monomers having the formula:

wherein Z is selected from hydrogen or hydrocarhon groups (allryl, aryl, cylic, etc.) and X is selected from carboxyamide, sulfonamide, or R+ carboxyamide or sulfonamide, R being a hydrocarbon group, exhibit good heat resistance and are valuable for use in preparing fibers having good heat resistant properties.

The monomers which are suitable for use as the starting material for preparing polymers in accordance with our invention may be prepared in various ways. The following examples illustrate some of those methods:

Example I.-l parts of vinyl acetate containing parts of sulfonamide acetic acid are treated with 0.2 part of mercuric oxide. A faint excess of sulfuric acid (based on mercuric oxide) is added and the mass refluxed for 3 hours. The

catalyst is destroyed by addition of an excess of sodium carbonate and then the excess vinyl acetate is distilled off in vacuum. The residue is purified by crystallization from acetic acid and water giving the compound,

Example II.--l00 parts of maleamic acid was stirred with 200 parts of dioxan containing 1 part of mercuric sulfate prepared in situ by adding sulfuric acid in slight excess to the dioxan containing mercuric oxide. The mixture was well stirred and a slow stream of acetylene gas was passed in for 3 hours at 60 C. The vinyl ester of maleamlc acid,

is obtained from the reaction mixture as a white crystalline solid.

Example III.25 parts of sulfonamide acetic acid anhydride was heated with 15 parts of acetaldehyde and 1 part of sodium acetate in an autoclave at 200 C. for 1 hour in the presence of copper acetate. The product is purified by recrystallization from acetic acid. A good yield of the vinyl ester, NH2SOz-CHz-COOCH=CHz is obtained.

Example [Vi-20 parts of was heated to reflux in partsof vinyl acetate for 3 hours in the presence of HaSO; prepared in situ as in Example I. The excess vinyl acetate was removed by vacuum distillation and the vinyl ester,

Nm o oO ocrt=cm was obtained.

These monomers may be polymerized by any of the emulsion procedures listed in the prior art such as, for example, in mass, in emulsion, in

solution or by bead polymerization. 'These polywith other unsaturated compounds which will copolymerize therewith such as vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinylidine chloride, butadiene, methyl vinyl ether, isopropenyl methyl ketone, fumaric acid amides, cyanofumaric acid esters or amides, fumaronitrile, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl urethane, vinyl urea or ethylene malononitrile. For some purposes the carboxyamide or sulfonamide or both should be at least 20%, and preferably 50% of the mixture with other monomers in forming co-polymers thereof to assure heat resistant properties in the resulting product.

Land 25 parts of The tube was heated at 40 C. for 6 days and then The following examples illustrate the preparation of polymers in accordance with my invention:

Example V.--25 parts oi and .05 part of benzoyl peroxide were heated togather in a sealed tube at 50 C. until solid. When cool the resulting product was removed and purified by dissolving in acetone, pouring into water, filtering, and drying.

In place or the above,

may be employed to prepare a polymer in the same way.

Example VZ.-25 parts of was placed in a small autoclave and polymerized "by slowly warming to 180 C. over a period of 20 hours under a pressure of 300 atmospheres. A very tough product results. Other unsaturated compounds may be polymerized in this manner, such as Example VIL-A mixture of 10 parts of H=C=QO-C-CHg-CONHg CH: 10 parts of on,

CHF O-O OCHQCHZSOSN/ and 0.01 part of pelargonyl peroxide was polymerized in a sealed tube and worked up as described in Example V. A slightly colored, tough resin resulted.

Example VIM-d parts of were heated in a sealed tube with 0.1 part benzoyl peroxide at 50 C. for 2 days and slowly raised to 75 C. The polymer was worked up as in Example V. A slightly colored tough solid was obtained. Example IX.-- parts of and 10 parts of vinyl acetate were polymerized in a. sealed tube using benzoyl peroxide catalyst.

- 4 at 60 C. for a time. The product was rsflnod as described in Example V. Instead of vinyl acetate, there may be used isopropcnyl acetate, cyclohexenyl acetate, vinyl methane, vinyl bonzoate, or p-acetamino vinyl benzoate in this process.

Example X.20 parts of parts of vinyl chloride and 0.1 port of polargonyl peroxide were placed in a sealed tube and slowly warmed to 50 C. over 5 days. When polymerization is complete the product is recovered by the method described in Example V. Instead of. vinyl chloride any of the following may be employed: vinyl fluoride, iso-propenyl chloride, a-fluorostyrene, vinylidine dichloride, vinylidinc chloride-fluoride, p-chloroallyl alcohol or its esters.

Example XI.-10 parts of 10 parts of dimethyl fumarate and 10 parts of diethyl fumarate were polymerized in mass using 0.02 part of benzoyl peroxide as catalyst. The temperature may vary between 10 and C. but advantageously 40-60 is used. The resulting product is hard and tough. Super atmospheric pressures may be employed to advantage in this reaction. Instead of the fumarates, the maleates, or citraconates may be employed.

Example XII.10 parts of 5 parts of acrylonitrile and 10 parts of methacrylonitrile were polymerized as in Example V. Care is necessary to prevent the formation of an insoluble polymer.

Example XIV.-25 parts of and 10 parts of methyl vinyl ketone were polymerized as in Example V. A tough acetone soluble polymer was obtained. In this procedure there may be used instead of methyl vinyl ketone any one of the following: iso-propenyl ketone, divinyl ketone, nc-flllOl'O vinyl methyl ketone, vinyl tri-fiuoro methyl ketone. Example XV.25 parts of and 25 parts of vinyl methyl sulfone was polymerized at 40-60 C. using 0.1 part pelargonyl peroxide as the catalyst. A tough yellowed polymer is obtained. In this procedure, as the sulfone, any of the following may be used: isopropenyl vinyl sulfone, -phenyl vinyl sulfonc.

amazes a-chloro or iiuoro vinyl sulfone, vinyl sulione amide,

and the like.

Example XVI.--25 parts of H C=C-C o-onno own2 and 25 parts oi were polymerized as in Example V. A hard, tough resin is obtained.

Example Xifl'L-M parts of was put in an autoclave and ethylene was pressed in under a pressure of 1000 atmospheres. The temperature was slowly raised to 180-200 C. When polymerization was complete the autoclave was cooled and the product wasremoved. it was slightly yellow, hard and tough.

Example XVIII.--4l parts of i6 parts of butadiene, 0.5 part of urea peroxide, 0.9 part of gelatin, 0.05 part of 2-ethyl hexane, 0.06 part of carbon tetrachloride and 0.18 part of Nekal A (sodium ethyl naphthalene sulfonate) were mixed together with water to form an emulsion and the mixing was continued at 55 C. for 4 days. Then phenyl --a naphthylamine was added and the polymer was precipitated by adding a suitable acid. The resulting polymer is tough and elastic. In this procedure butadiene derivatives such as 2-methyl butadiene, 2,3-dimethyl butacliene etc. may be used instead of butadiene itself.

Example XIX.-20 parts of 50 parts of acrylonitrile and 10 parts of styrene were polymerized at 40-50 C. using benzoyl peroxide as the catalyst. When polymerization is about 11 to 15% complete, acetone is added together with phenyl-a-naphthylamine and the product is poured into water. The whitesolid that separates is filtered and dried. Fibers having good textile properties can be spun from this polymer. This interrupted polymerization technique can be used on any of the polymerizations in accordance with my invention, frequently to ood advantage.

The resins of my invention are because of their good heat resistance eminently suited to the preparation of filaments and fabrics therefrom in a manner depending on the character of the product. For instance, the resin prepared by the procedure of Example V may be dissolved in acetone and formed into filaments by evaporative spinning.

I claim:

l. The copolymer of the vinyl ester or maleamie acid and vinyl acetate the vinyl ester of maleamic acid constituting at least of the mixture from which the copolymer was formed.

' 2. The polymer of a composition comprising n,o=g-o- -X in which Z is a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and aryl, X is selected from the group consisting of carboxyamide,

sulfonamide, R+ carboxyamide and R+ sulfonamide, R being a group selected from the group consisting of phenyl and the aliphatic hydrocarbon groups of l-4 carbon atoms.

3. The polymer of a composition comprising at least 20% of in which Z is a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and aryl, and X is selected from the group consisting of carboxyamide, sulfonamide, R+ carboxyamide and. R+ sulfonamide, R being a group selected from the group consisting of phenyl and the aliphatic hydrocarbon groups of 1-4 carbon atoms and a compound selected from the group consisting of in which Z is a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and aryl, and X is selected from the group consisting of carboxyamide, 'sulfonamide, R+ carboxyamide and 3+ sulfonamide, B, being a group selected from the group consisting of phenyl and the aliphatic hydrocarbon groups of 1-4 carbon atoms.

8. A process for preparing a polymer which comprises heating to a polymerizing temperature a composition as in claim 7 at a pressure of at least 250 atmospheres.

9. A process for preparing a polymer in which a composition as in claim 7 and a compound selected from the group consisting of the vinyl compounds, the isopropenyl compounds, and the esters of unsaturated dicarboxylic acids are used,

the composition of claim 7 constituting at least 20% of the mass from which the polymer was prepared.

10. A-process for preparing a polymer inwhich a. composition as in claim 7 and vinyl acetate are used. the composition of claim '7 constituting at least 20% of the mass from which the polymer was prepared.

JOSEPH B. nrcxny.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,813,565 McDowell Mar. 9. 1948 

1. THE COPOLYMER OF THE VINYL ESTER OF MALEAMIC ACID AND VINYL ACETATE THE VINYL ESTER OF MALEAMIC ACID CONSTITUTING AT LEAST 20% OF THE MIXTURE FROM WHICH THE COPOLYMER WAS FORMED. 